How to Ask Your Groomsmen to Wear a Tux Instead of Their Military Uniform

Devoting your life to serving your country is something to be extremely proud of, and while many military grooms will opt to wear their dress uniform on the day of their wedding, plenty of couples will still prefer if the groomsmen arrive dressed in classic tuxes or suits. But what do you do when your future husband's attendants plan to wear their uniforms to the ceremony, too? Here, our etiquette expert breaks down your options.

If your fiancé is wearing his dress uniform, it's understandable that groomsmen will think they should wear theirs as well. But since it's in no way required that these men (or even your groom) wear their dress uniforms on special occasions, it's not rude to ask the other men to wear a suit or tux.

So how do you go about discussing this topic without sounding pushy? First, talk to your future husband. If your groom wants his guys to wear their military uniforms on the wedding day, you should give his opinion some serious thought — it's his day, too. Many grooms do want to dress in their military best for at least part of their wedding day, and if he feels strongly that his groomsmen who have served or are serving the country should too, then so be it. They'll still look formal and, let's face it, who doesn't love a man in uniform?

If your groom doesn't feel strongly about the guys arriving in their dress uniforms, politely ask them to wear something else. They'll likely be more than agreeable with whatever you choose. Another option is to have the men dress in uniform for the ceremony only and change into tuxes before the ceremony. This is pretty common when it comes to military weddings, and you'll be able to get tons of great photos of the guys both in both looks.